In a desperate attempt to break through as a visual artist I’ve been getting my hands dirty lately – washing printing paint off various surfaces.

These are some of the first results: Helsinki illustrated. There are more to come, these were in my eyes the most obvious things to start with for the moment: one of my favourite streets, Villagatan/Villankatu, and the messenger of spring, the elegant crane. Things get done faster when there are deadlines…

Planned projects for the near future include coffee packaging, a card game and handprinted postcards. That’s the plan for the moment at least, while I’m still interviewing people and trying to make progress in my research.

We had exactly 3 days of winter last week. Winter meaning minus degrees, snow and sun; after that it quickly turned back to good old liminal grey nonsense.

On one of these days I took a feel-good walk to the cemetery and paid tribute to the frozen cherubs.

On another day I had some business in Malmi. I wish there was something more exciting to take pictures of. Maybe some other time?

However, during the weekend we were meeting some friends on Suomenlinna. And that’s why this post will probably take you like 2 hours to load – I cannot resist taking AND uploading all the pictures. According to hardcore Suomenlinna locals such days are scarce and should be enjoyed fully. So we did that.

I don’t think these photographs need any comments: we took the ferry to the island and walked around and drank coffee and bubbly. The light was soft and warm and everything was so fluffy from frost.

I thought I would start a series on winter symbols, signs reminding me of Christmas approaching, wintery ways of obtaining vitamins, happiness and something to look forward to during the cold and slow-paced season…

Well here is the first one:

Do you wonder what this is? It is quite simple really. If you ever bought a pack of dried dates, chances are that the pack came with a complimentary fork. “Fork”. Plastic, blunt, sticky and unbelievably flimsy, bending in clear arches once it touches the date skin. No living person has ever used it for eating dates (or for anything really?) yet they have been a part of since 1935 (I made that up). I’m sure that the original kind was made out of wood (or similar) and was actually quite nifty, unlike its modern offspring.

I guess this is yet another thing we keep doing “just because”, with no rationing behind…

In order to become more consequent in my work and other deeds I worked out that sharing my with the virtual crowd AND the handful of my faithful readers might actually help me crack the habit and prevent those rather unpleasant moments of not-accomplishing-anything in my life. So here we go. Sometimes – especially on those grey, hazy days when nothing seems to have happened – I admit I might cheat and use a picture from the day before or something, but at least we are still talking about a new photo every day.

Now, what have I been doing – oh yeah, I went to Österbotten. And – as per usual – I was stunned by the beautiful nature, kind people, fragrant forest and simply another life pace. Or different conception of life…

I spent some time in Kokkola, and visited Neristan – the old town. It was not unlike Rauma or Porvoo: a collection of colourful wooden houses, window displays, thick window glass, thrift stores and minigalleries, and as the destiny wanted it not tourists at all.

Around the Österbotten countryside I found some lovely abandoned shops/banks/social gathering places (and smelly mink farms!). The nostalgia hit me, I can imagine life in those villages to have been much different while these institutions were still active.

for December, yet sunshine is scarce. Here are some of those precious moments:

I mean what does one do photography-wise when the weather is like THIS?

Ha, I know! Takes pictures of one’s Christmas preparations. Just to show off. And feel included in the blogging world. And boast with my family bliss, which I’m in fact enjoying to the full at this very moment (yes, it is 1am on a Saturday and I just finished baking Linz biscuits and I smell like hundred bucks (worth of butter and lemon grind).

I went for Finnish winter/Christmas colours: all shades of grey thinkable with silver and gold glimpse glitter…